Mac Ridge

The Mac Ridge property is contiguous with and immediately east of the larger Big Springs claim block. This was the location of the first mining at Big Springs, from a small open pit near the top of the ridge which had a reported average grade of 7.54 g/t (0.22 opt).

Geology

Mapping and structural interpretation at Mac Ridge has indicated the potential for finding favourable Lower Plate rocks at reasonable depth below the reclaimed pit area and elsewhere on the claims. The present interpretation is that the mineralization in the original pit and in shallow drilling to the south of the pit is related to splays off the major east-west Headwall Fault.

A discovery of Lower Plate rocks at Mac Ridge by Gateway geologists resulted from field mapping carried out by following the easterly trending structures that control the gold mineralization at the Mac Ridge deposit. The Mac Ridge deposit was mined in the late 1980's by Independence Mining Company and had a reported average grade of 7.54 g/t (0.22 opt). Rock sampling of the Lower Plate outcrops returned significant gold values as high as 5.70 g/t (0.166 opt). The current geological interpretation suggests that the Lower Plate rocks continue at relatively shallow depths under and beyond the original Mac Ridge pit area.

Work carried out was successful in extending the gold-bearing Lower Plate rocks for a minimum distance of 560 metres (1,800 feet) and delineating Lower Plate stratigraphy over at least 3,000 metres (10,000 feet). Four hand-dug trenches all returned mineralized intervals ranging from 3.0 metres (10 feet) to 20 metres (65 feet) with average grades ranging from 0.98 g/t to 2.71 g/t. These wide-spread discoveries have established Lower Mac Ridge as one of the Company's most exciting prospects. Limited drilling has been undertaken on the property and further work is warranted.